New Aston Martin DBS WON’T keep the ‘DBS’ badge

The replacement for the Aston Martin DBS (right) will look much like the One-77 (left) at the back

The revised Aston Martin DBS – due to arrive later in 2012 – will take many styling cues from the One-77 and get a new name.

Aston Martin are busy working on an updated DBS (which is why we’re about to get the DBS Ultimate Edition) and are aiming for a reveal by the Paris Motor Show in September. But this isn’t going to be just a facelift for the DBS.

Our sources are telling us that Aston Martin are planning to change the name of the DBS, are pushing it more upmarket and endowing it with plenty of styling cues from the One-77.

That will mean a new, more aggressive body with a back end that looks almost exactly like the One-77 (which you can see in the photos above). Aston Martin have shied away from too many One-77 styling cues on their regular cars until now, but with the last One-77 sold it’s no longer a concern.

Power is expected to be pushed towards the 600bhp level – although not quite getting there – in a perhaps futile effort to match the Ferrari F12. That’s never going to happen, but the new car will be a chunk more powerful than the current DBS.

But it’s the name change that’s intrigued us. It seems Aston Martin want the DBS replacement to be perceived as a new halo car for Aston Martin so they’re planning a new name. But we don’t know what it is.

Logic tells us it’s going to be a name from Aston’s history (we can’t remember the last time AM launched a new name – limited edition cars and Toyotas aside)- but what will, the new name be?

Is it too soon for a new Vanquish? Probably. What about Vignale (a Lagonda Concept) or even Bulldog? Both seem unlikely, so maybe it will be something new. Although probably beginning with ‘V’.